Many Canadians Shopping Online

USPA NEWS - As COVID-19 cases continue to rise from coast to coast, it has become clear that the 2020 Holiday Season is going to look very different for many Canadians. Many provinces are seeing hundreds of positive infections each day, forcing the government to implement restrictions that had been relaxed after the first wave of the COVID-19 virus. As people fear that may become even more stringent, many plan to shop online for the upcoming Holiday Season.

With working from home, limits on the size of social gatherings, and travel restrictions which include quarantine rules becoming the new normal, people are trying to integrate these changes into their lives so the important things in life can safely co-exist with COVID-19. As the holiday gift-giving is on the horizon, online shopping seems to make sense and will make it a safe and easier way to survive the busiest shopping season of the year.

Graham Robins, CEO A&A Customs Brokers, said in a media interview today, " It´s going to a season of tremendous online shopping, so we have to get ready for that. Large couriers are gearing up for a record-breaking season. It recommended  that Canadians shop early."

FedEx Canada is preparing for the strong surge in online shopping for the holiday season by opening an additional small parcel sorting center in Toronto which will be able to handle as many as 20,000 online commerce shipments each hour seven days a week. The company has also hired 2,500 workers since the summer.

For the last several weeks, Canada Post has been encouraging customers to shop early this year. The postal service indicated that it is preparing its operations and infrastructure in anticipation of an expected surge in parcels. The postal service said, "It is scaling up operations to handle an expected surge in parcel volumes by adding more than 4,000 seasonal employees, more than 1,000 vehicles and extra equipment. It said it is improving its tracking technology. Canada Post will also deliver on weekends in many communities, add more pickup locations, and extend hours at many post offices."

Canada Post owned courier Purolator, is introducing the use of electric low-speed vehicles and electric cargo bikes in select large urban areas to lower the greenhouse gas emissions footprint, while keeping up with the extra demand in service. Purolator CEO John Ferguson said, "More than ever, we´re committed to helping dense metropolitan cities operate more smoothly through new delivery methods that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,“ Purolator reports that they have seen home deliveries spike by about 50 percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Canadian officials respond to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by imposing tighter restrictions on movement and even lockdowns in some jurisdictions, it has become clear gathering traditions that we often take for granted will take a pause for this year. Even though we may not be able to gather in person, we can still do so virtually and also look to online shopping to help us remind those we care about that we are thinking about them.